In conversation with Bharat Sundar: MadRasana 2018

MadRasana, a platform that brings together great artists along with their Rasikas in an intimate setting recently took place in Chennai and saw a great line-up yet again this year.

Ahead of his concert, we had the opportunity to chat with the young Carnatic music vocalist Bharat Sundar on his view on this concept, his art, favorite raagas and more.

Tell us about your performance atMadRasana. What’s your opinion on this beautiful concept?

Always loved singing for MadRasana. I love the way they treat the sounding of Carnatic music. With very less monitor volume on stage, musicians always tend to give their full effort and it shows in their performances.

What are the three most important aspects which an aspiring Carnatic singer should follow- according to you?

Practice , Passion and Humility towards the art.

Please name three Carnatic compositions which you are never tired of singing.

Chaturdasa ragamalika of muttuswami dikshitar

Sarvesha of Papanasam Sivan

Tulasamma of tyagaraja

Do you enjoy singing rare ragas apart from the crowd’s favourites like Bhairavi and Kalyani?

Yes of course. A musician must always use his/her experience in handling time-tested ragas like Bhairavi and Kalyani, while singing new rare ragas (like Kapinarayani or a Salaga Bhairavi) so that they don’t sound mere scales. Understanding every raga as a separate entity is most important.

What is the care you take to express bhava aspect in your singing- especially for non-Tamil compositions?

As most are my vaggeyakaras, the lyrics and music blend together so well. It is greater if you understand the meaning. I try to go little deeper and try to understand the background of the compositions with references from various works like shastras and puranas.

What are the biggest challenges for a young Carnatic artist to face in today’s tech-driven generation?

It is distracting to see people meddling with their phones during a concert. When an artist puts his/her time and effort to come and sing on the stage, it is only better if you are there fully with the artiste. It creates a better experience for both the artiste and audience to relate to the music produced.